


Rescue

by AnselaJonla



Series: Prompt fills [23]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-11 00:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18671416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnselaJonla/pseuds/AnselaJonla
Summary: A fic written for a prompt on the r/WritingPrompts subreddit:[SP] A dragon without wings





	Rescue

I carefully approach the whimpering dragon, my hand held out before me, palm up. The poor beast is scared, hunched in on itself and backed as far into the corner of its cage as it can go. If it had wings then they would be tucked tight into its back to protect them; as it is, the stubs where its wings used to be are barely visible against the patchy scales of its back.

I'm not a vet, but I don't need to be to see the most serious external problems here. It's been neglected and abused since soon after hatching, and as a result it's malnourished, fearful, and has one of the worst cases of scale rot I have  _ever_  seen. Oh, and it's been de-fanged, de-clawed and wing-cropped, and I wouldn't be surprised if its flame glands have been removed as well. And it is absolutely  _covered_  in scars and fresh injuries.

Its timid nature is enough to tell me what happened to put it in this state. It wasn't fierce enough for illegal dragon-fighting, so it's been used as a bait dragon to train others of its kind instead. And a bait dragon doesn't need to be able to fight back, in fact the  _scum_  responsible would prefer that it doesn't. Can't have the weaklings damaging the valuable dragons after all.

I hope the  _shitstains_  responsible for this rot in hell. They've already been arrested, but the police called me and mine in because they just don't have the resources. They know it's better to call for specialist help, to get any dragons they seize into the hands of professional dragon-rescuers as soon as possible.

I'll take this down to the vet, see what she says. Hopefully this poor wee animal... hopefully  _Cypress_  can be got back to full health, and I can put him up for adoption so he can find a forever home with someone who'll love and care for him as he should have been since he hatched.


End file.
